The invention relates to a socket, for a detachable plug and socket connection, for coupling an optical fiber to a semiconductor light source. The plug and socket connection further comprises a plug. The socket comprises an optical fiber extending in the socket from a plug end to a light source end.
Such a socket is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,948,582 which corresponds to United Kingdom Patent Specification No. 1,456,395 and is used in optical communication systems in which light pulses of a high frequency are transmitted by means of optical fibers. In such a system, as described in the Japanese monthly "Journal of Electronic Engineering", July 1976, pages 42-46, it is necessary to control the power dissipated by the light source. A portion of the emitted light is caught by a first optical fiber and passed on for communication purposes. Another portion of the light is guided by a second optical fiber to a photodiode. An electric signal from the photodiode, generated by the light incident thereon, is used for controlling the power dissipated by the semiconductor light source. Such an arrangement has the drawback that two optical fibers must be oriented with respect to the semiconductor light source and that the photodiode must, at least partly, also be oriented to a certain extent with respect to the fibers.